Startup Ideas: How to Generate Them

It’s pretty basic, but you can’t start a startup unless you have an idea to work with. Of course, having an idea in itself doesn’t necessarily mean you can set up business either – you need a good idea; an idea that people will like and pay money for – but nevertheless, the process of becoming a business owner starts with the humble idea.

That means you need to know how to generate ideas. We all think we know how to do that – I mean you literally just think about things, right? Well, yes and no. When you’re looking for a startup idea, you can’t just idly sit around and daydream (although that can occasionally work out pretty well) – you need to think in the right way; you need to think in ways that will generate ideas. Here are a few ways you can do that, which might just work:

Watch TED Talks

Visit Ted.com and start watching videos, any videos you like. Pretty soon you’ll be inspired by some of the most interesting and innovative minds on the planet, and with their inspiration and your own unique way of thinking, you might just hit upon that big idea that will change it all for you.

Look at Existing Products

Spend some time looking at the products you own. Think about what they do, what makes them good and particularly, what could make them better. Taking an existing product and adding a feature or making a change so that ti performs better and gives more value is one of the best ways to set up a successful startup. Good examples of this would include clik clik magnets, which make it possible to renovate ceilings without the need for ladders and other tools and astroturf which makes keeping a clean, tidy, well-mowed lawn practically effortless. There are hundreds more examples of companies who have taken an existing idea and improved it to make their fortune, too, so it is a great way to get ideas!

Keep a List of Your Pet Peeves

On a similar vein, it might be a good idea to keep a notebook in which you write down your pet peeves. Writing down the things you’re grateful for might be more in-vogue, but if you want to generate new startup ideas, nothing will help you faster than identifying the things that annoy you and then coming up with ways to solve them! Unconventional?Maybe. Effective? Definitely!

Read Reviews

Again, in a similar vein, reading the bad reviews that companies and products get can help you to come up with ideas to do what they’re doing, but better. They might not be totally original ideas, but if you implement them well, you will get business!

Think of the Future

By this, I mean think about how future generations will view us. How will they consider us backwards in the ways we think, act and work? Those are the areas where innovation is most likely needed and by thinking carefully about them, and how you would rather we’re viewed, the ideas will just flow.

Now, all you need is a little extra help from the startup muse, and you’re good to go!